Irvine Vs Pupu
by Netta Sloan
Summary: No one believes in aliens.  And how is there no Pupu character choice!
1. Winhill

It had started out normal enough. The garden was all repaired, they'd had a nice goodbye party, and Squall had issued orders. Logically enough, the commander had chosen to go to Trabia. What didn't seem logical, at least from his point of view, was the list of stops along the way. He could kind of understand Balamb, since the garden almost crushed it and all, even Timber made since being Rinoa's hometown and all, but Winhill? Not to be a pain or anything, but no one even knows if Winhill still exists, though he has seen it on a map. He thought about questioning Squall on it, but it wasn't worth the effort. Maybe it was related to all of this Laguna stuff everyone keeps chattering about. All he knows is the main thing running through his mind is Selphie.

He didn't know when it started, but something changed. He can't get the look she gave him back at D-District prison out of his head. It was as if he'd deeply wounded her or something, but even she was confused about how. She'd avoided him since then, driving away in a separate vehicle and going off to lead the big mission to stop the missiles. He hadn't really even believed about the missiles until he saw them flying overhead during party decisions. Squall had for some reason chosen the other two SeeDs to go with her. He felt a little hurt at not being included, but shrugged it off.

Now here he was, sitting in this gargantuan monstrous flying thing, losing all of his precious battle cards to an increasingly smug looking Quistis as visions of Selphie floated in front of his eyes. He didn't know why he had been so glad to see her when she popped out of that machine they fought in FH, only that he was glad Squall let him do the comforting in the quad. Weird that he'd think this way. He almost wished he had more responsibilities like Zell, but then shrugged that thought away, too.

A long ride later, they reached Winhill. He was a little shocked when Squall called for him and Rinoa, but he guessed he shouldn't be. Selphie was at the front gate when he got there, pouting about wanting to see Sir Laguna's town. Squall was trying to appease her while at the same time surreptitiously checking all of Rinoa's gear as she tried to brush him off. He laughed and stretched, earning him a grateful look from Squall as his entrance broke the show-down.

"Now Selphie, darlin' just head on back inside and rest. We're goin' to go take a look around and as soon as it's determined safe everyone'll get a chance to look around."

She pouted, turned on her heel, and stomped away. As her backside faded from view he turned around to the scowls of Rinoa and Squall.

"What?"

"Why did you promise her that?" He shrugged in reply; Rinoa turned to Squall and mimicked the gesture. Swinging his gunblade over his shoulder Squall began to stride out of the garden. "Whatever." Rinoa gave him a dubious grin and ran to catch up. Irvine chuckled as she grasped Squall's hand, following behind the two. Looks like his plan had worked as he noticed Squall didn't pull away. Irvine frowned as he caught sight of the town in the distance. It was at least a couple of kilometers and there looked to be a lot of creatures in between. There goes his promise.

The three fought their way across the field and had almost made it to the town entrance when he stopped. The other two quickly sat down and began working on the small wounds they got in battle. Well, kind of. Rinoa seemed to be in more of a tickling and teasing mood than helping, but Squall remained ever stoic getting the job done. Irvine ignored them and turned to look back the way they had come. Raising a hand to block out the sun he squinted at the strange thing he was seeing. Surely that couldn't be…..a cow? Without thinking he ignored Squall and Rinoa's increasing volume as they bickered and started to stride across the field. As the first shot left his gun he didn't notice them falling silent then running towards him.

"Irvine, what is it?" Rinoa's voice cried out, laying a hand on his elbow.

"….." Squall shot him a questioning glance.

"No way, you guys didn't see it?"

"See what?" Squall shook his head once for reply.

"The flying cow."

Incredulous stares met this answer.

"I'm serious, it was being carried by something, but way up in the air."

Rinoa and Squall exchanged a look before Squall stepped closer to him. Rinoa's hand came up and felt at his forehead. He snatched himself back, running into Squall who just looked at him, concerned.

"Let's get you some water, Irvine." Rinoa started to walk away.

Incredibly, he felt Squall lightly take his arm and steer him back towards where they had dropped their belongings at the town entrance. He shook his head hard twice as Squall led him. Removing his cowboy hat he dumped half the canteen Rinoa handed him on the back of his neck before downing the rest in one long gulp. He didn't notice as Rinoa and Squall exchanged looks again and Squall gently grasped her hand for a second.

"Feeling better?" Rinoa still looked concerned as she squinted up at him.

"Yeah, a little."

"Come on, then. And don't worry; it happens to the best of us."

"Yeah, thanks commander."

He stepped in behind the two and followed them into the town, mumbling a little incoherently to himself….. "It was just the heat. There was no cow.", repeatedly under his breath.


	2. Timber

Irvine lay in bed as the garden sped towards Timber. He couldn't get the flying cow out of his head. It had to have been the heat. He had a sinking feeling he was concentrating on the cow to get Selphie out of his mind. After leaving Winhill Squall had pulled him aside and told him he wouldn't be allowed to go into Timber. It seems he needed his rest. They, Squall and Rinoa, were taking Quistis instead. That was fine with him. As he left the command office Rinoa had been waiting for him in the elevator. He got an earful from her about Selphie. Seems Rinoa disagreed with Squalls idea of rest, so she arranged a date of sorts for them. They were to hang out at Mandy Beach. Zell would be close by something about a creepy lake he wanted to revisit, so they should be safe. He asked if Squall knew, she got mad. Said of course, but he didn't want to make it a command so she told him.

So here he was, laying in bed, all of these thoughts running in the background to his failure in Winhill. "Damn cow" he muttered. He was still there sleeping when he felt the Garden shift and stop. Two seconds later Nida came on over the loudspeaker announcing that they had made their destination and calling out Squalls orders. He sighed before grabbing his gun from under the bunk and swinging his long legs to the floor. Bending down slightly he checked his appearance in the mirror by the door, straightening his hair and vest ever so slightly, he tilted his cowboy hat to the just perfect angle before heading out.

He smiled as he saw a flash of yellow in front of him. _Selphie. _She was turning cartwheels down the hallway when she disappeared with a leap he could only assume was over a staircase. He quickened his pace upon hearing a loud thump. He got there just in time to see her spring up and run towards the exit. He chuckled as he made his way down the stairs, his gun butt sliding down the rail beside him. She was the only person he met who could take a leap off of two stories, land on her bottom, then get up like nothing had happened. It made his heart pound every time, though he wasn't exactly sure why.

He slowly, purposefully made his way to the entrance, ensuring he would be the last to arrive. It all worked as planned. He stopped in the shadows of the entrance, watching the scene before him. Quistis had a clipboard and seemed to be reading some kind of checklist out to Squall, who was turned slightly away from her and trying to sneakily stare at Rinoa, who was with the other two members of their circle. The two girls were practicing their handstands while Zell tried to shadowbox their swinging feet. He laughed as Selphie managed to swing her weapon while balancing one handed. It caught around Zell's supporting foot just as he swung a kick at one of Rinoa's feet. She pulled a little too hard and Zell went over, knocking her off balance and into Rinoa. The three crumpled together on the pavement. Squall was over in a flash, picking up a laughing Rinoa while asking if the other two are okay. Quistis just sighed at the interruption. It was then he decided to make an appearance, throwing his gun over his shoulder and laughing while taking long strides. He grabbed Selphie's hand and she came up in a dance move, twirling before dipping back in front of him. He smoothly caught her, and then balanced her upright again so she could twirl away. Zell frowned, asking why no one helped him up as Squall bent down in front of Rinoa, trying his best to get her to hold still so he could clean up her scraped knees.

They all came to order in a few minutes and gathered around Squall. A look passed between him and Rinoa which Irvine strived to understand.

"Okay everyone. I, Rinoa, and Quistis will be heading into Timber to check the general state of the town. Garden is on Orange Alert until we get back. You three are free to roam the area around Garden as reconnaissance or stay here as you choose. Keep your communication devices open. That's all. Move out."

He laughed as Squall turned, gave Rinoa's hand a pull and began walking towards the exit. Quistis looked a little put out, but trotted behind anyways going back to her list. Before they were out of view he saw Squall snatch the clipboard out of her hands and toss it a good 100 meters away, causing the three left to crack up all over again. Zell was the first one to speak up.

"Well, guys. I have a lake spirit to see, so later." With a wave he headed out as well, leaving Irvine and Selphie in awkward silence. Selphie broke it first.

"Rinoa wanted for us to head to the beach. She says it has some monsters so no one goes there anymore. I wouldn't mind drawing some more water magic, so do you want to or not?"

He looked at her a little surprised at her bluntness before smiling. "Sure, Selph, let's go."

He was surprised again when they reached the exit and she took his arm. She hummed a little as they made their way across the plain to the beach. It really was a nice spot once they got there. They both managed to max out the amount of water they could hold as they played in the surf. Nearly the whole day passed before Squalls voice came in on their communicators giving the code to head back to Garden. They shook the water off as best they could and trudged up to dry land to replace their shoes. It was as they were leaving the beach, when he turned back for one more look, that he saw it. Not a cow this time, but some weird head statue.

"AAAHHH!!!!!" He let out a girly scream and began firing. Selphie slightly ahead of him turned back just in time to see a speck in the sky.

"Irvine, it's just a bird. What's wrong?"

"It wasn't a bird, it was some kind of flying thing and it was carrying a head!"

"What! No, it was a bird. See there's one right there carrying a fish. Let's head back."

He failed to notice her concerned glances during the walk back as he muttered about "damned flying cows and heads" the entire way. At the entrance it barely even registered when she walked straight to Squall, grabbing an elbow and forcing him down to her level. Looks were exchanged between the party before Zell returned. Quistis murmured something to the martial artist as he took his place beside her. His eyes widened, and then he looked to Squall, who nodded confirmation. Irvine only came back to himself as he was being led down the corridors of Garden.

"Where are we going?"

"To Dr. Kadowaki's" It was Zell who answered, his hand firm and steadily guiding Irving by the shoulder.


	3. Kashkabald

He'd laid down in the infirmary for a while before they went to Trabia. A little bit of rest and he felt a lot better. Upon seeing the devastation of the Garden he felt foolish. Worrying about things in the sky is nice during peacetime, but they were at war. The graves and cries of hungry children drove that point home. He did what he could to help there and slowly forgot all about flying heads or kidnapped cows. Selphie was despondent. She needed him. They all needed him. He was the only one who held their memories, the keys to the past, and it was starting to look like that was more important than he thought. It had been nice reliving all of those memories with everyone on the basketball courts. It had been nice to be remembered. It had probably been nicest of all when, after they left, Squall had visited him to talk. Like usual, he didn't say anything, but he could tell it was about the sorceress assassination. Knowing now, that they had been trying to kill the woman who raised them, it seemed like Squall understood and had found a new respect for him. Where he should have gloated, he was instead just uncomfortable. Had his memories made things harder for the man he had chosen to follow? When Squall had left, all stiff-backed with burning eyes, he had felt guilt. Rinoa's smile from the doorway had helped things a little, but not enough. He was sitting out the next few fights. Firing a gun on a floating vessel didn't seem very intelligent to him, so he was waiting for land.

The next plan was to head to the orphanage where they grew up. It was supposed to be on one of the southern continents. He didn't remember much about it, just that it was by the ocean and had a lighthouse nearby. The commander's idea was simple. They were going to stop on the north side of the continent and traverse the beach looking for clues. The south lands had always had a problem with monsters and storms, so the house may not even be there anymore. It hadn't really mattered to him how they looked, but he did want to be there when it was finally found. Squall had looked hard at him when he requested to be one of the party to go, but a throat clearing from Rinoa had broken his gaze. He'd relented and agreed, remarking that it had been his memory allowing them to even think of it in the first place. So now was the waiting. It didn't take too long and before he was fully rested the call came over the intercom.

He was surprised when the call came just for him. He would have thought that Rinoa and Squall would need a break, but then chided himself. He should know by now that those two never separate and never take breaks. Indeed when he got to the bridge he wasn't surprised to find them waiting, clothes impeccably clean and weapons gleaming from a fresh sharpening. He had pulled his hat down low over his eyes, feeling a little insecure because he had been lying around the whole trip and was decidedly less ready, more rough. Squall had even wordlessly handed over some new refined ammo, though when he found the time was up for guessing.

They'd headed out, then. Irvine shielding his eyes from the blast of desert sun even with his cowboy hat on. As soon as the hatch was closed the Garden took off behind them. He looked at his map with the rendezvous point circled and set out to follow Squall. They trekked for what felt like miles through the great Kashkabald Desert. The Guardians in his mind took a lot more from the battles than he did, learning new skills and flooding his body with more powers. After spending half of the day walking along the edge of the beach they had headed in-land. Edea's house was not here, but the rendezvous wasn't for another 36 hours and many miles away. He wondered if Zell, Selphie, and Quistis had had more luck. That night he took last watch. When it was his turn he was awakened by both Rinoa and Squall. She was quick to lie down and start sleeping once he had fully taken up his position. Squall was slower to sleep. He pretended, but Irvine could see his grey eyes reflecting the light of the fire. After half an hour of this fakeness Irvine had enough. He'd gotten up and dragged Rinoa's sleeping bag, with her still asleep on it, over to the commander's side. The man's eyes had glared into his until Rinoa had rolled over, mumbling in her sleep, seeking out the warmth that was now close by. He'd gotten quite a kick out of seeing the lonesome Squall give in, let her cuddle, and finally begin to snore. That finished, Irvine had kicked back and watched the stars.

As the sun was rising, a flash of something in the darkness to the west caught his eye. It seemed to be glowing and heading towards him; against the wind. He was instantly on his feet, gun trained as he watched its flight. The sun crested the land behind him as it buzzed closer. When it finally came into view of his eagle eyes, he let out a gasp. One hand coming off of his rifle he scrubbed furiously at his face before looking back up. It was there again. The weird dinner plate thing and this time it was carrying a giant pyramid-y building! He'd stumbled backwards as it raced towards him. Raising his gun he fired as he continued to move back. The thing was a lot closer this time around and he swore he could hear a whistling sound. He moved faster as it got closer, panic overtaking him. Right before it passed over his head he'd gotten off one more shot before falling over the now awake and crouching Squall. The two boys lay sprawled across the sand as Rinoa sleepily rubbed her eyes. She'd stayed wrapped in her sleeping bag, but did have the presence of mind to grab her weapon.

"What was that?"

"……….."

He answered in gasps, heart still racing as the sky brightened into day.


	4. Heath

A lot had happened since he'd last seen the UFO, but it stayed in the back of his mind. It seemed like everyone had some weird obsession. Squall and Rinoa were of course intent on beating the future sorceress. He didn't know where their strength came from, particularly Rinoa seeing as how she was the new sorceress, but he was glad for it. If either one of them broke down he knew he was going to be next. Selphie had taken to piloting the Ragnarok pretty quickly. Her magazine collection had also grown by leaps and bounds, her love for Sir Laguna only intensifying. Zell was following clues from a shadowy lake figure and a monkey. He didn't know why or what exactly, but a few useful items had come of it, so he was supportive. Quistis, the person he was most at odds with had become even odder. She would disappear for hours at a time in strange forests, leaving the rest of them to mill about and try to learn what they could.

It was actually during one of her disappearing acts that he saw his own personal demon again. He was with Selphie of course and for some reason Zell was tagging along. They had left Squall and Rinoa outside of the forest and gone up to an island a short distance away. The creatures there made strange battle cries, but they also stocked some desperately needed magic, so it was decided to stay and acquire more. He was actually enjoying the work, the GF's in his head now giving him even more bonuses when he learned something new.

After about half an hour an itchy sensation began to crawl up his spine. He looked around trying to pinpoint where the feeling was coming from even as his companions pushed further out. A new battle cry rang out, different from the rest, followed by an intense rustling in the copse of trees just over the next hill. He looked ahead to his friends just in time to see Selphie and Zell exchange a look. The pair both jumped up in glee and sprinted towards the loud noise. His eyes widened a little in fear as their excited shouts floated back to him.

He stumbled, trying to keep up. He knew it was impossible, the two of them were like children on a sugar rush during a bad day and today they felt great. He could only see flashes of yellow and blue through the trees. He heard hits and voices crying out. He managed to push through and catch up in time to see another one of the regular monsters fall. The three exchanged looks and scanned the area. After a moment the weird battle cry rang out again, this time in the direction they just came from. They took off again, pushing through the undergrowth heedless of small scratches. He was still a little behind when the hyper pair split of in different directions, presumable to flank the creature. He continued forward, gun at the ready.

His hair snarled in branches, but miraculously he managed to keep his hat. Small forest creatures ran from the sound of his boots. He swallowed leaves as he pushed his way through the last bush to stumble, stunned, into a small clearing. A second later while he was still regaining his footing Selphie and Zell exploded from opposite sides, both attacking the air and letting out silly battle yells. They looked disappointed at not finding anything, giving him a minute to bend over and wheeze, waiting for his breath to come back. The looks scanning the area now were ones of confusion and irritation, bloodlust not having been satisfied.

He had just coughed up his last mouthful of leaves when the battle cry started up again, louder this time. It continued for longer than seemed possible and the air began to feel electrified. He looked up from where he was bent over to see Zell and Selphie staring behind him, frozen in fighting posture, astonished looks on their faces. He turned around, dread making him feel like he was in slow motion. There behind him, the plant he had just burst through was levitating in an unnatural yellow light. His eyes reluctantly followed the beam up to the source and he gulped nervously knowing what he was going to see. The plate thing was hovering there, almost in indecision, having been caught kidnapping a plant. It swooped a little and he fell to his knees. He heard the rattling of chains as Selphie was broken out of her daze, now intent on capturing the thing.

He heard cries of Booyaka as the two jumped over his prone form. The kreening of the plate thing rose in volume and it swooped towards the two, dragging the plant threateningly. They parted, dodging while he went fetal on the ground. He buried his face in his palms and stayed curled as he heard the space thing circle a few times before flying off.

"Come on, Irvie. We saw where it went. It's just like something Sir Laguna once saw. We have to get it!"

"Get up, you stupid cowboy. We have to go. The commander is going to want a report."

He curled up tighter as they tugged on him. "The plate thing is real and it's stalking me!" was whispered furtively under his breath. He felt fearfully for his Diablos junction, not caring how he was tearing it away from. After equipping –enc/none he felt a little better, but only a little. After a few minutes he realized he was walking, holding hands with both Zell and Selphie like he was a child. He squeezed both of their hands tighter, they wouldn't let the plate thing get him.


	5. The Plateau

He was still being dragged by his hands as the other two flagged down the rest of their party and jumped aboard the Ragnarok. Selphie was in the pilot seat before the hatch was even closed. Quistis barely made it in time, arms full of some new chocobo items. For his part he sat quietly in the conference room, hat pulled over his face, just trying to regain his sense of normalcy. If everyone else was seeing it then he couldn't be crazy, right? For some reason he still had his doubts.

He hung on as the vehicle banked sharply before settling down. The thundering of boots overhead and the excited yells echoing through the air conditioning vents told him they had arrived. He closed his eyes, hoping they would forget he was here. No such luck when Quistis came in quietly and told him he was needed. Trust in the ex-teacher to remember everything. He rolled his eyes but followed her out.

Selphie, Zell, and Squall had already engaged the thing. Rinoa sat in the grass close by, watching with a slight look of boredom. He stood beside Quistis for a minute, guarding the entrance to the craft, before he headed over to Rinoa. She gave him a wry grin as he approached and patted the ground beside her. He was happy to see her in a good mood. The incident at the sorceress memorial still upset him; he couldn't imagine how she had dealt with it.

"Hey, Irvine. Sit and watch the show."

"What's going on? Is it tough to beat?"

"Nah, Squall scanned it first thing. I think Selphie has decided to fight it in handstand formation the whole time and these are Zell's gloves."

"I'm surprised our stony-faced commander is allowing that." He smiled at her as she giggled.

"He's hoping it will tire them out. When he saw you guys running back he thought you looked like you'd taken them both on and lost. I think he means it as a favor." They both laughed at that before he groaned.

"I feel like I took them both on." He noticed her concerned look and instantly felt bad for saying anything. Rinoa did not need anymore stress. He heard a whip crack and looked over to see Quistis plucking the feathers off of a dead cockatrice. A moment later he felt a cool comforting glow envelope him. His eyes rolled back and he started to fall into a trance, lost in waves of pleasure.

When he opened his eyes again he was staring up into the worried faces of Squall and Rinoa. They broke into little relieved smiles as his eyes focused. The fingers running through his hair stopped and he missed their presence. He felt a worn leather glove grasp his arm.

"Sorry, Irvine. I think my spell was too strong." He was reeling still as he fought to sit up from her lap. Squall's hand tightened and held him upright. He looked into the gray eyes and nodded his thanks. The commander nodded back. Rinoa's voice broke in again. "Are you okay?"

He shook his head to clear it a little before answering. "I'm fine, darling, thanks. That was some heal, though. It felt like the best lay I'd ever had." At this she giggled and Squall let out an exasperated breath. More laughter followed and he looked around to realize that everyone had gathered around him. Selphie went to her knees in front of him and gave him an enthusiastic hug before jumping back up to dance a victory jig.

"We fought the plate thing. It was called UFO. Really easy, but he dropped an Aegis Amulet, woo-hoo! The GF's are going crazy, each one promising me more power if I give it to them. It's like a smack-down wrestling match in there." She tapped her forehead twice to emphasize her point.

He looked around again. "So, where is it?"

"It flew away, man, but I think I know where it's going. It was beat up pretty bad. I feel sort of down about it, now." Zell did look a little sorry, though he was rubbing his temples like he had a headache.

The hand on his arm let go and he swayed a little, still feeling a little euphoric. He glanced behind him to see Squall pulling Rinoa up. "I feel a little tired. I think I'm going to rest while we fly some more." Squall frowned as she looked at him. "Can we go find the UFO? We should make sure it's okay." Zell and Selphie both stopped rubbing their temples and looked at Squall. The commander looked around before sighing.

"Okay, fine. But let's get moving." Zell and Selphie both cheered and raced back towards the Ragnarok. He groaned and fell back. He thought he'd seen the last of that demon. He was surprised to feel a soft hand grab his right and the glove grab him under the arm. "Come on, Kinneas." They hoisted him to his feet, Rinoa still looking a little sheepish. He felt sad again as he looked from her to Squall's worried glare.

"Chin up, beautiful. I really do feel great." She looked a little better and he felt the commander relax next to him. It felt good having the tension that always followed Squall release a little, but he couldn't resist teasing the man. "In fact, " He threw an arm around Rinoa's shoulders, causing her to look back up, "let's both go down to the break room and I'll tell you all about the time Little Squally here lost his swim trunks." As he felt the tension quickly come back into the air he reached over and ruffled Squall's bangs, earning him a glare and smack on the arm.

"Whatever…." He and Rinoa both laughed as Squall began to stride away towards the ship and followed after him, just out of gunblade range.

"It was like this. We had dared Squall and Seifer both to……" He started in on his story, ignoring the death threats shot his way as they entered the cargo bay.


	6. Ragnarok

He settled back against his bedroll, Rinoa plopping down across from him. He really was exhausted and he could still feel a bit of that cure spell coursing through him. They sat in silence for a few minutes and he fought to silence the images running around in his mind. Catching a few winks now was sure to make him feel better. A whooshing noise and brightening of light beyond his eyelids made him give up the idea.

"You sure you want to play with fire in here?"

"I have Leviathan junctioned, which should keep it from getting out of control."

He opened his eyes as the glow began moving around the room. He watched as three fire spells zipped around the room before colliding above Rinoa's palm. He felt concern rise in him as her eyes lit up in the dissipating glow. She looked over at him as a ball of ice appeared in her hand. He felt a twinge of fear as her eyes met him across the small room; she almost seemed to be shimmering with power. Before he could react the door opened with a mechanic whine and the spell instantly extinguished. Quistis strode heavily into the room before plopping down on her own mat.

"What are you two up to?"

Rinoa answered quickly while he was still thinking of a reply, "Just resting. How long until we get there?" She shot him a look begging for his silence as she said this and his thoughts grew muddled and guilty. Rinoa wouldn't hurt him.

"Not too much longer. The Commander sent me down to make sure you two are ready. We can see some smoke on the horizon near where we think it crashed." Quistis dug into her pack as she said this, putting various crystal vials into her hidden pockets. She gave him a dirty look as she stood up and stepped over his sprawled out legs. At the door she stopped, turned around, and fixed a contemplative look at Rinoa. He sat up in surprise when she channeled some kind of magic towards the sorceress, a little scared but too confused to sort out what. Rinoa for her part didn't look surprised and let the magic wash over her with only a slightly rebellious look on her face. Quistis' eyes widened as the spell finished, but she recovered with a nod and headed back out the door without another word.

"What was that all about?" He looked at Rinoa intently, anxious for an answer.

She took her time replying, straightening her hair and clothes. "I don't know exactly. She did the same thing when we first met as soon as Squall was out of the room. Selphie says it's because of how close Squall was standing to me, but Zell has a different idea. Zell says that Quistis is really competitive and it was purely a SeeD training thing to measure up a potential foe."

"Have you asked her about it?" She shook her head. "What about the Commander?"

"Well, he says it's probably a little bit of both. She has a book of our growth statistics somewhere that he consults sometimes. When I first joined he said that I had enough innate strength and magic power, so he gave me a really strong vitality junction. I think she does it now, though, to keep tabs on the sorceress powers."

He blinked at this explanation, taking a minute to let it all sink in. He wondered what his own stats looked like and was a little surprised that Rinoa was so blasé about it all. He was still thinking over the information when the radio on the wall crackled to life.

"We're landing. Go to the dock." He smiled as Rinoa giggled and climbed to her feet.

"Come on, Cowboy. We've been summoned." Taking her hands he laughed as she feigned weakness pulling him up. He hesitated in the doorway, the strength to face his demon failing him. He felt fingers slip into his and squeeze gently. He looked down at her confused. "Thanks Irvine, for hanging out with me." He felt guilt rise as he thought back onto the momentary fear he'd had of her earlier. "You know, after almost putting you in a coma and all."

He laughed a little at that response, trying to make his guilt and uneasiness go away. "Sugar, you can cast cures on me like that anytime, I promise." He winked and laughed again as he elbow collided with his gut. Boots stomping down the hallway cut his laughter short and he looked up into angry grey eyes.

Squall looked the two up and down before sighing. He seemed about to lecture them when Rinoa reached out and grabbed his arm. He watched as Squall froze for a second before shaking himself. "Come on, let's go face Irvine's monster."

"Hey, it's not my monster." He filed in line behind them as they began to stride down the corridors. "Are you listening to me? I said it's not my monster."

Without slowing down Rinoa looked over her shoulder. "But Irvy, you're the one who found it so it is yours." He laughed as she stumbled and Squall picked her up over her indignant shrieks. He hesitated for one last moment as the two descended from the cargo bay. Setting his jaw, he threw his ponytail over his shoulder before stepping out into the morning sunlight to face his monster.


	7. Balamb Crater

"You've got to be kidding me."

"Aw, it's so cute."

"…………"

"Scanned and added to monster inventory, sir."

"Poor little guy seems hurt."

He heard all of his friends' comments as he made his way to where they had all crowded. His shoulders were squared and his jaw set. He was ready for battle. The acrid smoke burned his eyes and wished desperately for a clean shot at the monster that had been haunting him. He hesitated as he heard a high-pitched voice, obviously not one of his friends; say something he couldn't make out.

"Huh? It talks?!"

"Tee-hee! The little guy talks!"

"……….."

"That's a strange request. I am not carrying any."

"Me either. Should I try healing him?"

"Not just yet."

"It talks!!!"

"Quit repeating that. I don't have any either. Sorry cutey."

"…….none"

"IT TALKS!!!"

"Do you have what it wants or not?"

"Sorry, no."

"No."

"……..Irvine?"

He snapped to attention at his name. "What?"

Squall sighed in frustration. "Do you have an elixir?"

"What for?"

"Just answer me."

"Sorry, here ya go." He tossed the little vial to Squall who handed it down to a kneeling Rinoa in front of him. "psst…Zell, what does he need an elixir for?"

"The little alien dude talks and asked for one."

"Alien dude?"

"Another Kinneas." Squall broke into the whispered conversation.

"Sure." He passed the vial over and turned back to Zell. "Why are we giving it elixirs? Shouldn't we be killing it or something? It was kidnapping things all over and wanted to kill me."

"Another." Squall interrupted again before Zell could answer. He handed a vial over and waited for Zell.

"Just check it out for yourself, dude. I don't know any more about it than you do."

He made his way to stand beside Squall, leaving Zell and Quistis to their solitary positions in the rear. "Psst…so what is it, commander?"

"An alien, I think."

"Isn't he just adorable?!"

"Good boy, drink up all of that elixir."

"ELIXIR PLEASE!"

He started as it spoke again, drawing its gaze upwards. Cold sweat trailed down between his shoulder blades and his legs shook as he came face-to-face with his torturer.

"What the?! You've got to be kidding me!!"

"Same thing I said, man!" Zell yelled in reply from somewhere behind him.

"Shh….not so loud Irvie, you'll scare him."

He looked down to where the two girls were fawning over the little Pupu-alien-thing. Rinoa returned his glare with puppy dog eyes.

"It wants more elixirs, Irvine."

"ELIXIR PLEASE!"

He froze in response, not sure of what to do next. Somewhat mechanically he took out another little vial and pressed it into the sorceress hand, watching as she fed it to the little blue guy.

"ELIXIR PLEASE!"

It was his last one, but he wasn't about to argue with the monster.

"I think I need to go lie down." He left the area in a daze, not noticing the concerned looks trailing after him. He stumbled to the resting area, falling clumsily onto his still-unrolled mat. His boots dragged mud all over the ship, but he didn't notice. After a few minutes of staring into space he began to laugh. The sound of it echoed through the ship, bouncing off of the walls and making the glass shake in their window panes. He laughed and laughed, not noticing when the others came back or how they each tried to break through his momentary mania. It was only when an over-powered Rinoa sleep spell hit him that he finally lay down and got some rest.

He awoke somewhat groggily three days later. No one mentioned the alien to him, his supply of elixirs was back up to full, and their journey continued.


End file.
